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Place des CocotiersThis is the heart of the city. The square slopes gently from east to west and at the top is a band rotunda, a famous landmark dating back to the late…
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Place des CocotiersThis is the heart of the city. The square slopes gently from east to west and at the top is a band rotunda, a famous landmark dating back to the late…
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Le Parc des Grandes FougèresThis 4500-hectare park, in the mountains above Farino, features tropical rainforest with rich and varied flora and fauna. As the name suggests, tree ferns…
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The Heart of VohNorth of Koné, near the township of Voh, there’s a mangrove swamp which has developed some unusual natural designs. The most intriguing is a perfect heart…
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Anse VataOrientated east–west, this popular beach is a hotspot for visitors to Noumea, with hotels, restaurants, shopping and other attractions. Only 10 minutes…
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Baie des CitronsOrientated north–south and less than 10 minutes from the city centre, trendy Baie des Citrons attracts locals and visitors alike. The beach is great for…
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Aquarium des LagonsThis aquarium is stunning. Species found in New Caledonian waters – including nautilus, sea snakes, stone fish, turtles, sharks and stingrays – have…
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Parc Provincial de la Rivière BleueProtected Blue River Park is a reserve for many bird species, including the cagou. The landscape is a mixture of the far south’s typical scrub vegetation…
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Kanak MonumentDirectly below Balade Church, this monument, a large Kanak flag, was unveiled on 24 September 2011, 158 years to the day after France took possession of…
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Le MarchéThis colourful multi-hexagonal-shaped market is beside the marina at Port Moselle. Fishermen unload their catch; trucks offload fruit, vegetables and…
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Brooding Hen & SphinxHienghène’s renowned Poule Couveuse (Brooding Hen) rock formation sits on one side of the entrance to Baie de Hienghène, facing the Sphinx on the other…
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Musée de la Ville de NoumeaThe beautiful colonial-style Musée de la Ville de Noumea, which overlooks Place des Cocotiers, is dwarfed by towering palm trees. It features fascinating…
The cultural centre is a tribute to a pro-independence Kanak leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou, who was assassinated in 1989. It sits in a peaceful woodland and…
Mwâ Ka is erected in a landscaped square opposite Musée de Nouvelle-Calédonie. The 12m totem pole is topped by a grande case (chief’s hut), complete with…
Nine kilometres east of Bourail on RT1 is the well-tended New Zealand War Cemetery, where over 200 NZ soldiers killed in the Pacific during WWII are…
If you do any driving around Grande Terre, you're bound to be stunned by the number of old churches. It seems that every village has at least one. At…
An old stone building 500m south of the town centre houses the Musée de Bourail. Its displays include objects relating to the presence of US and NZ troops…
At Goro on the east coast the road passes beside Wadiana falls, which cascade down a rocky slope into a natural pool where you can swim.
This islet, about 20km south of Noumea, is famous for its tall white lighthouse, Phare Amédée (admission 200 CFP), which was built in France, shipped out…
Once a convict centre, Prony sits in a lush hollow surrounded by forest beside Baie de Prony. A stream runs through the village of corrugated-iron…
Captain James Cook became the first European to discover New Caledonia in 1774, on his second voyage. He landed at Mahamat Beach, and it was on climbing…